teller



'3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

0. P. TELLERV LETTER BOX.

Patented Mar. 1, 1887.

1 gfiNTOR: F 1%. BY JuMM/w ATTORNEYS.

% WITNESSES:

J 7 Zw/ N. PETERS. PholuLilhogmpher. Washinglun, 0.2

3 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

0. F. TELLEE.

LETTER BOX.

Patented Mar. 1, 1887.

INVENTOR T A k ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

G. F. TELLER.

LETTER BOX.

No. 358,632. Patented Mar. 1, 1887.

INVENTOR 4:). 'fifizz BY Mm mill Il/ll'llll'l'i'il ATTORNEYS.

N. PETER5, Plmm-Liuw n her, Washington, [1 C:

Urrnn Frame ATENT FFlQEQ ASSIGNOR TO THEODOR MAYN Z, OF SAME PLACE.

LETTER-=BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358,632, dated March 1, 1887.

Application filed October 26, 1886. Serial No. 217,207.

(No model.) Patented in Germany December 24, 1885, No. 35,873; in

France December 31, 1885, No. 160,630, and in Austriallungary February 4, 1886, No. 5,818 and No. .Zl,l88.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CARL FRrnDRIoi-r TEL- LER, of Offenbach-onthe-Main, in the Empire of Germany, have invented new and useful Improvements in Letter-Boxes, (which have been patented in Germany December 24, 1885, No. 35,873; in France December 31, 1885, No. 160, 630, and in Austrial-Iungary February 4, 1886, No. 5,818 and No. 21,188,) of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved letter-box which permits of being emptied of its contents without the letters being handled by the operator.

The invention consists of a letter-box and a letter bag or pouch which are dependent upon one another, so that one cannot be opened or closed without the other.

The invention also consists of various parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of my improved letter-box. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the letter-bag in position on the bottom of the letter-box. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same, showing the letter-bag closed and in position on the bottom of the letter-box. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing theletter-bag open on the bottom of the box. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the bottom of the letter-box. Fig. 6 is an under-side View of the bottom of thelettor-box. Fig. 7 is a sectional side elevation on the line was of Fig. 1. Fig. Sis afront ele vationof the inside of one of the bow-frames of the letter-bag. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 10 is a front elevation of the same, showing the bolts ina closed position. Fig. 11 is a plan view of the letter-bag in a closed position. Fig. 12 is a sectional side elevation of one of the bow-frames on the line 3 y of Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a similar view of the same, showing the unlocking of the bolt. Fig. 14 is a sectional end elevation of the same on the line 2 z of Fig. 12. Fig. 15 is a side elevation of the rear part of the bottom of the letterbox with the bag in a closed position. Fig. 16 is a similar view of the same with the let ter bag in an open position. Fig. 17 is aplan View of one corner of the bottom of the letter-box. Fig. 18 is a sectional front elevation on the line 11 v of Fig. 17, showing the dropbottom unlocked; and Fig. 19 is a similar view showing the drop-bottom in a locked position.

The letter-box A, of suitable construction and form, is provided with a bottom, B, consisting of the frame D and the drop-bottom E, hinged near the front end part, E, to the under side of the said frame D and opening downward. The sliding spring-bolts F are arranged on the under side of the said frame D, and project a short distance inward under the drop-bottom E, and hold the same in a closed position.

Each of the bolts F is inaccessible from the exterior of the boX A by being inelosed in a casing made in two parts, D and E of which the part D is secured to the bottom of the frame D, and the other part, E is attached to the drop-bottom E, as shownin Figs. 18 and 19.

The under side of the frame D is provided on each side with a guide-bar, G, carrying a guidebolt, H, having a wedge-shaped front, 1F, which engages, when pushed forward, with the downwardlyextending arm F of the sliding bolt F, so as to cause the latter to move sidewise and outward until the inner end of the bolt F disengages the drop-bottom E and permits the latter to swing downward. lVhen the wedge-shaped end 11 of the bolt H disengages the said bolt F, then the latter is again forced to its former position by its coiled spring. This movement of the guide bolt His effected by a device arranged in con nection with the letter-bag I, which consists, principally, of the usual bag-part, I, fastened to two bow-frames J and K, hinged together at 1 Each of the bowframes J and K is provided on each end with the projecting lugs L and L, respectively, by means of which the letter-bag I can be supported on the guidebars G and moved on the latter to the rear end of the letter-box A. On the inside of the ing aperture in one of the guides G, the said bowframe J is arranged a lock, M, provided with the bolts and 0, each having on its inner end rack-teeth O", which engage a pin- 5 ion, I, mounted upon a shaft, 1?, having a square end, which projects beyond the plate, covering the said racks and pinion. The outer round ends of the said bolts 0 and 0 project through the ends of the bow-frame J, and each is provided with akey-bit, O ,'on the extreme outer end, which bit, in its normal position,

is held in a correspondingly-shaped aperture formed in the projection L. Each of the bolts 0 and O is also provided with a hook, O,

which engages, when the bow-frames J and K are closed, with similarhooks, K, formed 011 the inside of the bow-frame K. The bolt 0 has a notch, 0 which engages, when the bolt is closed or in its innermost position, with a catch, Q, formed on the spring Q, secured to the said frame J.

On the bow-frame K is arranged a key, R, which is capable of being turned, but is otherwise fixed on the frame, and fits, when the bag is closed, upon the square end of the shaft 1?, so that when the said key R is turned it im parts a sliding motion to the bolts 0 and O by means of the pinion P after the spring Qis disengaged from the bolt 0. In one corner of 0 the bow-frame K is arranged a flat spring, T, which engages, by its upper projecting end, T, (see Figs. 12, 18, and 14,) when thebag I is closed, with the inclined catch end Q of the spring Q. The lug L in this corner of the 5 frameK is provided with a key=hole, in which fits a key, U, which, when pressed inward, causes the spring T to move in the same direction, which raises the inclined catch end Q of the spring Q, so that the latter is raised and 40 disengages the notch 0 in the bolt 0. \Vith" out this keyU it is impossible to open the bag I, and as this keyis depositedin the post-office in which the bag is to be emptied it is evident that the letter-collector is prevented from open- 5 ing the bag when carrying the same.

In the rear end and on the under side of the box A is arranged a knob, V, which has the inwardly-extending shank V, held in acasing, V, and having a coiled spring, Viwhich holds the said shank V and its knob V in a normal position, and prevents an inward movement of the same. The inner end of the shank V corresponds to the key U.

The bow-frame K is provided with lugs K 5 which serve to raise the drop-bottom E, and

- are also used for fastening shoulder-straps, by

which the bag I can be carried.

The emptying of the letter-box A takes placein the following manner: After the closed I and locked letter-bag I has been placed, by

means of its lugs L and L, upon the guide-bars G on the letter-box A, then the bag I is moved inward against the rear wall of the box A, so

that the outer ends, 0", of the bolts 0 and O are opposite corresponding apertures in the guide-bars G, and the key held in the lug L of the bow-frame K is opposite a correspond- .knob V. The operator now presses on the aperture being opposite the shank V of the o knob V, and thereby disengages the catch Q 7 of the spring Q from the sliding bolt 0, and at the same time the operator turns the key It on the bow-frame K, whereby the bolts 0 and O are moved outward and the hooks O and K are disengaged, thus permitting of opening the bag I. This is done by pulling the bow-frame K toward the front, as shown in Fig. 4. The forward movement of the bow-frame K causes a turning motion of the bow-frame J, so that the bits 0 of the bolts 0 and 0 act on the recesses H of the sliding bolts H, and cause a forward movement of the latter in the direction of the arrow a, (see Figs. 15 and 16,) whereby the wedge-shaped end H of the bolt H presses against the arm F of the bolt F, and causes the latter to slide outward, so that the drop-bottom E is disengaged and swings downward into the open bag I, asindicatedin dotted lines in Fig. 4. The contents of the box A are thus droppedinto the said bag. It will be seen that the bow-frame J is held in a firm position in the rear of the box A, on account of the outer ends of the bolts 0 and O passing through the corresponding apertures in the guides G, thus forming a fulcrum for [05 forced inward and under the drop-bottom E by flat springs, thus locking thedrop-bottom again in position. By turning the key U in the proper direction it causes the bolts 0 and O to move inward, so that the hooks O" of the bow-frame J again engage the hooks K of the bow-frame K, whereby the bag is locked and the spring-catch Q again engages the notch O of the bolt 0, and the pressure of the'knob V is released. The letter-bag can now be withdrawn from the box A.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

,1. A letter-box provided with the knob V and the spring-key shank V, by which the letter-bag pushed under the box can be opened, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with the drop-bottom. E, of the frame D, on which the said bottom is hinged, the spring-bolts F, holding the said bottom closed, and means for withdrawing the said spring-bolts, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, with a letter-box provided with the guide-bars G, of the letter-bag I, provided with the bow-frames K and J, of which the frame J is provided with a lock the bolts of which engage apertures in the said guide-bars of the letter-box and establish a connection between the bag and the letter-box, substantially as shown and described.

4. A letter-box provided with the guidebars G and a knob,V, carrying the spring-key shank V, in combination with the letter-bag I, provided with the bow-frames J and K,having the lugs L and L,the lock M on the bow-frame J, having the bolts 0 and O, engaging apertures in the said guide-bars, and the key R, for operating the said lock M, substantially as shown and described.

5. A letter-box provided with the bottom B, consisting of the frame D, carrying the guidebars G, and the hinged dropbottom E, the spring-bolts F, arranged on the said frame D, and the sliding bolts H, operating on the said spring-bolts F, in combination with the bowframesJ and K, and the lock Mon the bow-frame J, provided with the bolts 0 and 0, operating with their outer bit ends, 0 the said sliding bolts H, substantially as shown and described.

6. Aletter-box provided with the bottom B, consisting of the frame E, carrying the guidebars G, the drop-bottom E, hinged 011 the said frame D, the sliding bolts F, arranged on the said frame D, and the knob V,'having a springkey shank, V, in combination with the bow frames J and K, the lock M on the bow-frame J, provided with the bolts 0 and O, engaging with their outer bit ends, 0 the said sliding bolts H, the key R on the bow-frame K, the

spring T, secured to the bow-frame K and operated by the spring-key shank V and the knob V, and the spring Q, engaging thenotch O in the said bolt 0 and operated by the said spring T, substantially as shown and de scribed.

7. The knob V, arranged on the outside of the letter-box and provided with the springkey shank V, in combination with the bowframes J and K, the spring T on the bowframe K, operated by the said spring-key shank V, and the spring Q, operated by the said spring T and engaging a notch on the bolt 0 of the said bow-frame J, substantially as shown and described.

8. The bow-frame K, the hooks K on the said bow-frame, and the key R, in combination with the bow-frame J, the shaft P on the said bow-frame, the pinion P, attached to the said shaft, the sliding bolts 0 and 0, provided with rack-tceth O, which engage the said pinion P, and the hooks 0, attached to the said bow-frame J and engaging the hooks K of the bow-frame K, substantially as shown and de scribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. 1

CARL FRIEDRICH TELLER.

\Vitnesses:

FRANZ FLAPLAOHER, J osnrrr PATRICK. 

